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Renzo Piano Designs for Kimbell Museum Addition Unveiled

We had another posting all ready to go for today, but feelobligated to report today’s breaking news from the local architecture scene. Fort Worth’s Kimbell Museum has unveiled the much-anticipateddesigns by Renzo Piano for an addition to its Louis Kahn building. We have the story and nation-wide reaction below.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegramkicks things off with astory with all the details…including the fact that the roof will beoutfitted with photo-voltaic cells that are intended to generate enough power to offset 50 percent of the building's annualcarbon emissions Andour hometown paper on this side of the Trinityhas thisstory.

Noted New York Times criticNicolai Ouroussoff echoes a theme familiar to all of the stories: “It’s fair to ask ifRenzo Pianowas fully sane when he agreed to design the addition to Louis Kahn’sKimbell Art Museum.” He goes on to include a cogent analysis ofKahn’s work and its place in the pantheon of American architecture: “Kahn’smythic stature in American architecture is matched only by that of Frank LloydWright; and even Wright is less likely to be spoken of with such reverence. Thearchitectural historian Vincent Scully, Kahn’s most ardent promoter, onceclaimed that he was “the hinge on which Modernism turned.” His pure geometricforms were infused with an aura of silence, and they had as much to do withRoman precedents as with the late Modernist period he worked in. Far from mentalabstractions, they were meant to be touched; their solemn surfaces of concrete,stone or brick carried the weight of history.” Theentire story is here…and definitely worth a read.